Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

by Chris True Formed for a one off bit of a laugh in 1985, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain soon grew into an ongoing show, playing tunes as varied as Nirvana, Otis Redding, and Tchaikovsky, in genres as varied as rock, jazz, classical, and punk. Made up of rhythm, bass, baritone, tenor, soprano, and lead ukulele players (all dressed to the nines -- as would befit a symphonic orchestra) as well as other instrumentation to augment where necessary, the Ukulele Orchestra has appeared in a number of countries, including the United State, Japan, Finland, and parts of continental Europe. In England, the group has played a number of successful gigs, and appeared on television in such shows as Jools Holland Hootenanny, Never Mind the Buzzcocks' Christmas Special, and Richard and Judy. In 2005, to add to their already substantial discography, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain released the DVD Anarchy In the Ukulele, recorded live in London.